Calafate

When explorers first stepped foot in Patagonia, they named the area "El fin del mundo," or "The end of the world." At that time, they thought the world was flat and that Patagonia, an area comprising of southern Argentina and Peru, was the point where the world faded into soft oblivion. The concept of the world just "ending" may seem silly to us now, but imagine what those explorers thought upon first laying eyes on El Calafate. Towering mountains, sea green lakes and of course, the hazy vastness of the glaciers. The mass of ice juts from the water in a diabolical yet mysterious beauty. Many people have died in their quest to climb or touch these glaciers, as the ice frequently falls off in a billowing, echoing crack. Not to mention one false step will land you in below freezing waters. 

Our trip was nearing its end. With only three days and two nights left in Calafate, I felt like we had only skimmed the surface of discovering this mythical place. I had never seen terrain like that in Calafate. Tranquil green lakes below snowcapped mountains framed an ocean of glaciers, whose protruding spikes glistened like uncut diamonds under the sunlight. Despite the snow we could just barely see falling in the distance, I stripped off my jacket in the 70 degree weather. 

We took a boat ride for a closer view of the Perito Moreno Glacier, then walked up and down the viewing balconies for hours, but still my eyes could not get enough. Perito Moreno stretched so far back that we could see no end. Our guide informed us this glacier is larger than the city of Buenos Aires, which covers almost 1500 square miles. That's five times the size of New York City. I've never felt so small in my life standing next to this monumental piece of nature. It's looking at such natural beauty that makes me think there must be a God. I just can't imagine the creation of something so amazingly beautiful, something I struggle to conceptualize even after I've seen it, was by accident. 

We really were at the end of the world.  

Perito Moreno Glacier

Some ice breaking off the glacier and crashing into the water with a thud

We knew it was snowing in the distance, we understood the water would freeze you to death in under a minute, but the temperature remained at a comfortable 65 degrees. It is the mystery of El Calafate.

Viewing balconies

"I'm the king of the world!"

...Or at least of Patagonia

Calafate may be home to some of the most beautiful glaciers in the world, but it also hosts an adorable little village that resembles a bustling ski town. Natives and backpackers alike tour the town, some buying shoe clamps for trekking, others browsing the jewelry of local artisans (like us). We loved this town because, unlike Buenos Aires, there was lots to buy, and because of the interesting gaucho culture. The gauchos of Argentina are a loose equivalent of the "cowboys" of the wild west. They work on farms, ride horses and don't exactly adhere to any formal law. We didn't see any gauchos in the town of course, but the familiarity and informality of the people and the town is evidence enough that the culture remains strong in Calafate. One small example are the dogs that roam the streets freely. They're not strays, they all belong to someone, but they're allowed to wander on their own all day. Many, like this one below, take naps outside restaurants in their down time. 

Just want Francois needs. A beret. 

Our next day trip in Calafate was to a hacienda, or one of the large farms in the area. At first, I wasn't too keen on visiting a farm. I love nature, but I'm a city girl at heart and hanging out with the cows and sheep wasn't too appealing to me. But the hacienda blew away my doubts. The farm sat nestled between rolling hills and a silvery lake, with a startling view of the mountains behind. Sheep and horses, which we never see in New York City, roamed the fields but of course Sabine and I run after the farm cats. We just couldn't help ourselves!

Our tour of the hacienda included feeding a baby calf (sounds silly, but he was so cute!), watching a sheep shearing and horseback riding through the land. This time, there was no horsing around (no pun intended). Our horses walked a terrifyingly narrow path across steep hills and rocky creeks, so we checked our competitive natures at the door and played it safe.

Our guide explained that this sheep shearing method is the most relaxing way for the sheep, although cutting with scissors is not the fastest or most efficient. In any case, this sheep did not look or sound too happy. 

This kitten kept cuddling up to the wool! So cute. 

Our very serious teenage gaucho, who led us on horseback.

Our other gaucho leader. They were all so nice to us and put on a show at the end where they raced their horses against each other! Very cool to watch.

Attempting to act like a gauchita (OK, so I made up that word...). By the way, my horse was by far the most beautiful. I took it as a compliment. 

Below istThe restaurant on the hacienda where we ate one of the most delicious meals of the trip! Lamb, lamb, and more lamb. Oh, and some sausage and steak to throw in some filler meats. 

So much meat. So much happiness. 

This little boy from New Zealand was so adorable! I couldn't understand a word he said because his little boy voice also had a strong kiwi accent, but Sabine and I still managed to play with him and search for the farm cats together. Sabs and I would've done that anyway so it was nice to have the little guy as an excuse to why we were running after all the cats.  

I'm sorry to any vegetarian who is looking at this...

Aw, and you thought Sabine didn't have a maternal streak?

Calafate, you have not seen the last of me! I will be back. For now, thank you for showing us your beauty, your mystery, your bounty. Thank you for allowing me to spend more time with my family over delicious meals and well-rounded malbecs. Thank you Argentina, you truly are so beautiful.

Viva Argentina

Mendoza

After walking around in the damp heat of Buenos Aires for four days, we were delighted to embark on our next adventure in Mendoza. My sister had organized for us to stay at Salentein, a winery just twenty minutes from the town, where we could relax, taste some Argentine wines and learn about the process of wine making. Salentein also boasted a pool, which I could not stop dreaming about while wondering the hot streets of Buenos Aires. As one can imagine, two nights in Mendoza was simply not enough. Just steps from our room laid miles upon miles of vineyards. The slightest breeze carried with it the sweet aroma of ripening grapes. And behind the already breathtaking scene of the vineyards sat the Andes Mountains. The jagged line serves as a natural border between Argentina and its neighbor, Peru.

Our first day in Mendoza, my family and I dined at La Bourgogne. Don't be fooled by the French name though. This spot served tasty dishes of goat and lamb meat, perfectly washed down with a crisp Torrontes. Since we were four people, we had to take a table inside, but the real jewel of La Bourgogne is its patio. Lined with romantic tables of two, the deck overlooks a vast terrain brimming with vineyards and of course the snowcapped mountains of the Andes in the distance. I can't think of a better lunch date than enjoying a steak and a malbec while overlooking such an incredible, natural view.

After lunch, the Latapie's kept on schedule! We first visited one of the smaller wineries in Mendoza called Durigutti. There, our tour guide showed us around the winery and explained how the philosophy behind Durigutti is to blend traditional ecology with modern technology to produce something natural and true to its origins, yet distinct in flavor. The winery is still under renovation and won't be finished until 2013, but the brick walls and comfy leather chairs of the tasting and cigar rooms lead me to believe Durigutti will become something beautiful and unique in Mendoza.

Durigutti

True to its reputation, the Durigutti malbec is well-rounded, complex and definitely one of my favorites. It pales in comparison to the Malbec Reserva though, which takes more time and effort to produce, making it more expensive but also exponentially superior in quality. With blackberry and licorice aromas, this wine is smooth on the nose and tongue. Absolutely delicious malbec. 

Finally we arrive at Salentein! It was on this vineyard that we stayed for two nights. I could stare at the sunset as it sunk under the vineyards for hours. Everything looked naturally gilded with light. 

One of our activities at Salentein was touring the grounds. Salentein is home to not only miles of vineyards, but also a plethora of orchards producing apples, peaches, cherries and olives among others. Our guide walked us through and pulled off fruits for us to taste every once in a while. He said the peaches weren't quite ripe yet (they needed about two more weeks), but I sampled one anyway and almost fainted. Soft and sweet, the peach melted in my mouth! I wanted to set up a tent in the middle of the orchard and never leave. I could just live off sun and those delectable peaches for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy. One day!

We assumed the netting above the orchards protected the trees and fruit from bugs. But actually, in Argentina the culprit is not insects, but hail! These nets cushion fragile branches from torrential downpours of the golf ball-sized hail that frequents Mendoza. 

Alas, what is a tour of Salentein if we don't visit the vineyards? These pictures speak for themselves. What I wish I could impart better in this blog is the smell. There is nothing more aromatic than the fresh, sweet smell of the grapes at a vineyard. It's so natural that you can't help but feel unusually connected to the land, yet so slight that you breathe deep with each breeze just to fill your nostrils with the scent of these sun-drenched grapes. I would go back just for that one aroma. 

An olive tree

Enjoying the vineyards...

Some horses grazing

Seemingly infinite, isn't it?

Inside the temple that is the Salentein winery

Sabine in the wine tasting room

She can't help herself...

The winery also hosts an art gallery that houses works from Argentinian artists, as well as Dutch artists. The owner of the winery is an 80-year-old, wealthy Dutch man, which is why many of the paintings depict scenes of Amsterdam or the countryside of the Netherlands. 

On our last day in Salentein, we visited more of the vineyards and orchards, this time on horseback. In Latapie fashion, we all acted too competitive on our horses (even though none of us have experience riding), and kept trying to cut in front of each other. This of course annoyed our poor tour guide who was getting increasingly nervous as his American comrades attempted to trot and gallop ahead. We managed to survive and I have to say, I think my horse took to me quite well. I always ended up leading the pack!

Sunset in Mendoza

Driving to the airport, I made my dad pull over for one last picture. I couldn't get enough.